Dubya Unchained?

Did you watch the president's first press conference, the one that began, "Why all the glum faces?"

Humility becomes him, doesn't it? He sounded like a different person -- far more real. The cockiness is gone, along with that contradictory little undertone of appeal -- I don't know quite how to describe it. When Dubya spoke he always sounded as if he was struggling to defy and ingratiate at the same time. He'd heavy-breathe with the effort -- I always visualized cartoon drops of sweat flying from his brow -- then smile to measure the effect of what he'd said, with a mixture of doubt and brazen daring.

That Bush is just . . . gone. That one sounded like Mighty Mouse on a trapeze. This one sounds like he has his feet on solid, modest, common ground. And I wondered . . . am I imagining it, or . . .

Rush Limbaugh said, "I feel liberated, and I'm going to tell you as plainly as I can why. I no longer am going to have to carry the water for people who I don't think deserve having their water carried."

Do you think Bush feels liberated too? Do you think he is relieved? Has the election released him from the thrall of an ideological cabal who didn't really suit him? Is he, on some level, glad that his handlers, minders, jailers, have been proven wrong?

Comments

[O18]

Yep, that’s it. And in these exact words: “The election released me from the thrall of an ideological cabal who didn't really suit me. On some level, I’m glad that my handlers, minders, jailers, have been proven wrong.” If W ever came up with one third of this on his own, I’d become a born-again republican.
Every once in a while, there’s an experience that’s difficult to describe verbally. For the Great Literator it’s gotta be around 60% of the time. Kinda like a dog (in this case, a beat up bitch), he understands everything, and about as eloquent.

[ME]

Ever since I heard the story of Bush saying "But haven't we already given the rich enough tax breaks?", I thought there might be a chance that he would, in his waning years, realize what he had been a part of, and repudiate it (somethinge akin to what happenned with Nobel and Pulitzer).

I'm not holding my breath though. Even if there is still a trace of decency in the man, his pride is still much stronger and probably will not defer to decency.

[amba]

There's a sense in which a weak President is the prisoner of the people who engineered his election. I'm not the only one to have long seen Dubya as the dummy on Cheney's knee.

I've never forgotten a remark by the cynical radical Gore Vidal (from the ruling class himself) about Ronald Reagan. I read it in a magazine on an airplane, and saved it for a long time. He said very nearly this: that Reagan was "an actor hired by the owners of the country" to play the part of the President, making us all feel inspired and warm and secure while the real, cold-cash business (of picking the people's pockets, in Vidal's paranoid view) was conducted behind the scenes.

I'm not a conspiracy theorist and I certainly don't hang on Gore Vidal's every word, but the concept that the president is, or can be, a kind of figurehead, a PR hireling, propped up by shadowy figures behind him with their own agenda, stayed with me.

[Pastor_Jeff]

Amba,

I'm very leery of conspiracy theories, too. But the Presidency has so much power and potential, and there are so many egos involved, that it takes a strong, competent person to chart a clear course and stay focused. The job is so overwhelming that the President must live inside an incredible bubble of filtered information and briefings, too. How does he know who to trust?

I don't know that I'd call it conspiracy. There have always been people who want to use others in positions of power to acheive their goals.

And it's not just individuals who pull the strings. I think Clinton's need to be loved made public opinion his eminence grise.

[Pastor_Jeff]

Mark Daniels has a similar thread going on the liberation of the real George Bush?.

I think Bush is more flexible and shrewd politically than we've seen. Conservatism suffered in the mid-terms. Bush lost his majorities in both houses. He will be glad to work with the Dems on his version of "compassionate conservatism."

Of course, I may be wrong and Bush may just be an empty suit. But I doubt it.

[Icepick]

W Unchained? I keep having visions of Dubya with long poofy hair, wearing spandex and jumping all over the place. Maybe he'll be the new lead singer for Van Halen....

[karen]

Is Van Halen STILL looking for a lead??

I've never seen W thru the eyes of the Libs- or even you, amba. I've always thought he was so polite to questions of reporters trying to force him to slip up and say how wrong he was all along. He'd almost close his eyes, take a deep, laboured breath and -AGAIN- explain that we must not let Iraqis down and blah,blah,blah(why). Like explaining to very young children- this is why...

You know, kinda like Ira Glass explained how it was the moral duty of all who listened to NPR to pledge- it was like teaching moral values to your five yr old.

I've always liked W. I don't care how flawed he is. Unfettered? The ultra-Cons are spittin' mad about his kiss up w/Pop-eyed Pelosi. The Center is holding and happy- go to All Things beautiful to see her pic of ~The Day After~.

[Icepick]

Karen, yes VH is still looking for a lead singer. They got back together with Hagar for a tour, but when that was done Sammy said he never wanted to work with the VH brothers again. And now Michael Anthony is out of the band, too, replaced by young Wolfgang.

And this concludes your Geezer Rock Update!

[Icepick]

Oh, and Karen, a big platonic icy hug right back at ya!

[karen]

:0)...